Berkeley County prepares for the winter storm

posted by (WCBD, Raymond Owens, Jan 28 2014)
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2 years ago

Across the Lowcountry, preparations for the snow are taking place. People in Berkeley County are preparing for whatever comes their way.

Berkeley County canceled Tuesday's planning commission meeting. The South Carolina Department of Transportation's public hearing on the Clements Ferry road project was also scheduled for tomorrow.That will also be rescheduled.

Behind the Berkeley County Emergency Preparedness Office, there are mountains of sand and dirt. Tom Smith, the Director of Emergency Preparedness for Berkeley County says that is ready to be used on the roads if needed. "Berkeley County has already had some meetings regarding putting sand on overpasses and bridges, as well as preparations to clear roads and trees, and broken limbs and such as that."

Over at Berkeley Electric Co-op, four pole yards around the lowcountry are stocked with supplies needed by crews to get repairs done to power lines.

Berkeley Electric President and CEO Dwayne Cartwright said, "any of the folks out there that might be on leave, we're calling them in. We are taking this very serious. We want to have trucks rolling if the event happens… the most dangerous event during an ice storm is actually the trees. As the trees are laden with ice, they'll fall over on the lines."

Cartwright says never touch or go near any power lines that are damaged, even if they are on the ground. He says you should be very careful how you use a generator if your power does go out. "Do not hook it into your house unless you disconnect us from the service."

If your home is still connected to the service, the electricity being generated by a generator could shock repair crews who think the power to the line is shut off.

Cartwright says even if the storm does not produce much snow/ice, it is still good to prepare. "Hopefully this will be a great drill, and we won't have to go out and fight the ice. But if we do, we're ready. And we're gonna do everything we can to ensure our members are safe and employees are safe, and get the power back on as quickly as we can."